The Mirror of Souls
by Alianora Serein
Summary: Naru is asked to investigate the mysterious deaths that have been plaguing an 18th century manor in England.But the SPR team is in deep trouble when Naru and Mai are possessed by the spirits of two dead lovers. BEING EDITED AND REWRITTEN
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** _Ghost Hunt and its characters do not belong to me. I'm writing _

_This is for entertainment purposes only and not for profit._

**Summary:** _Naru is asked to investigate the mysterious deaths that have been _

_plaguing an 18th century manor turned hotel. But what will the SPR _

_team do when Naru and Mai are possessed by the spirits of two _

_forbidden lovers and what is this evil presence Masako feels? _

**FILE 24 : THE**

**MIRROR **

**OF **

**SOULS**

**Prologue**

Hi, I'm Mai Taniyama. I'm 17 years old and currently in my second year of high school. It's been more than a year since I begun working for Sibuya Psychic Research, more widely known as S.P.R. and business is booming. This is the third year of the office and it is by far the busiest, according to what my sources tell me. Even the "big bad boss" would admit this to be a fact if you asked him, (if you do, please don't mention my little remark). Yes, even Naru would admit it. Naru…my handsome, yet mysterious, boss, who remains a super-narcissist and gets extremely annoying with his all-knowing and arrogant behavior at times.

Surprisingly enough, it is Lin-san that has warmed up to me the past year. Don't get me wrong. I don't mean we are all hugs and kisses. At least, he has begun to call me Mai, instead of Taniyama-san and has come to respect all the hard work, (he is my above mentioned source), I do for this office…unlike some others.

"Mai, make me some tea."

See what I mean?" Would it kill you to just say: "Could you please make me some tea, Mai?"

"Would you please make me some tea, Mai?"

"I said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did."

Stupid mouth. Stupid manic-drinking-tea boss. Ever heard of coffee or juice? Sometimes, I hate this man and I hate this job. Oh, customer. A middle-aged gentleman. Well-dressed too. Naru seems to be expecting him. They are talking in English. Doesn't matter, hehe. It's one of my best subjects. I might not be as fluent as Naru but I sure understand most of what they say.

Wow. That old guy is English. Huh. He thanks Naru profusely for accepting him on such short notice. Naru says it's okay, would you like some refreshment. The old gentleman will have some tea. Cream, two sugars. Someone is picky.

They are going into Naru's office now. Lin follows them and closes the door behind him. Why all this secrecy? Have we gone international now? I didn't know we were that famous. I wonder what kind of problem he has. He seemed troubled and kind of nervous.

Oops, the door opens again. I must have spaced out for a while.

Yeah, Naru, I didn't forget about the tea. You don't have to stare at me like that. I'm going to make it right now. Jerk.

"I heard that, Mai."

Shoot. I said it out loud again.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** _Ghost Hunt and its characters do not belong to me. I'm writing _

_This is for entertainment purposes only and not for profit._

**Summary:** _Naru is asked to investigate the mysterious deaths that have been _

_plaguing an 18th century manor turned hotel. But what will the SPR _

_team do when Naru and Mai are possessed by the spirits of two _

_forbidden lovers and what is this evil presence Masako feels? _

**FILE 24 : THE**

**MIRROR **

**OF **

**SOULS**

Chapter 1

Sometimes, usually when Naru made her feel ready to explode, Mai Taniyama took her sweet time to make him tea. This time she had it prepared in no time. _Well, there is the added bonus of the new case_, she thought as she loaded the trail. She headed to her young boss' office and knocked politely on the door.

The three men raised their heads to acknowledge her presence as soon as she entered. Naru went immediately back to tapping absent-mindedly the forefinger of his right hand on the polished mahogany surface of his desk. To Mai he looked deep in thought. When she placed the cup of tea — green tea with two drops of lemon — next to his elbow he didn't even thank her. It was typical of him but it irked her every time. _It's two words, just too small words; I didn't ask him to compose a hymn to my awe-inspiring tea-making abilities. _

The old gentleman seemed more relaxed to her now as she placed the cup of tea — black with milk and sugar, just as he asked — on the coffee table in front of him. He was a tall thin man with warm blue eyes and a ready smile. His sandy blonde hair were beginning to gray but this only added to his charm.

"Thank you, miss…" He started thanking her only to stop abruptly and turn flustered to Lin and Naru. "Does she speak English?"

Naru raised both eyebrows and shrugged.

"Actually, I do. My name is Mai Taniyama. Nice to meet you."

"Excellent, excellent," said the old gentleman with a relieved smile. ""It's good to meet you too, miss Taniyama. I am Edward Lawrence. Unfortunately, I don't speak a word of Japanese." He raised his cup to his lips and took a small sip. His face brightened at the sweet flavor. "I must say you make an excellent cup of tea."

Mai flushed happily at the unexpected praise. It was good to feel appreciated once in a while. "Thank you, and please call me Mai".

"Mai it is then. You know I have a nephew who is single…"

"Mai is only seventeen, Edward," Naru cut him off abruptly.

"So young? I thought she was at least nineteen. Shouldn't someone her age be in school instead of working? Kazuya, are you taking advantage of this child? Of course it might be that you like to see a cute face like hers bring you tea, eh?" He laughed good-naturedly as Mai's cheeks turned crimson and Naru glared daggers at him. "Young lady, don't make the same mistake I did when I was your age and I let this young gentleman's father push me into doing crazy things." The head of SPR was starting to get irritated. "School is important. Mr. Kazuya here might not care about this things, as he already has fi…"

"Edward!" Naru acted as he was a father and Mr. Lawrence his young chatterbox of a son. "I turned down an important client because you were one of my father's oldest friends. When you called you said it was urgent. I don't think you traveled so many hours just to talk to my assistant."

So, this Edward guy was an old friend of Naru's father. She still didn't know a lot of things about Naru's past or family, except the fact that he was an orphan like her.

Mr. Lawrence's jovial expression deflated like a balloon. He sighed and rested his hands upon his knees.

"You are right, as always. I might as well begin and tell you the reason of my visit…"

Naru stopped him once more by raising his left hand. He looked at Mai through narrowed eyes. Her eagerness to listen to what Edward had to say was written all over her face.

"Mai, I believe you have some filing to do, don't you?"

The young student opened her mouth to complain, but she closed it with a small pop as Naru raised an eyebrow.

"Okay," she said and left dejectedly. Naru was right. She had quite a bit of filing to do that wouldn't be done on its own. This was one of the major drawbacks of them getting more cases. All of them were quite intricate and mysterious — 'cause his Majesty, the King of Narcissism and Arrogance wouldn't of course hear of investigating a boring, mundane case — thus her load of work had increased threefold this last year.

It took her almost two hours to finish the filing. Their last couple of cases had been colorful, for one thing. In one, they had investigated the mysterious appearance of a gigantic wolf in a small town near Osaka that was proved to be an actual demon. It had been chilling.

But she had to admit; it was their last case that had once more changed her worldview. The director and writer of a horror movie had been found strangled to death in a locked room. Three days later the leading actor and his stunt double had suffered the same fate. No one could believe it in the end when they discovered that an actual golem had been responsible for the killings. And the perpetrator? The one to make the golem had been an actor that held a grudge against the whole crew because he lost the leading role to a more famous actor. When the authorities searched his apartment they had found a massive library filled with books dealing with the black arts. And once again Mai had been in danger as the golem had been sent after her. Luckily, Naru had sent Monk-san to check up on her and she was rescued in the nick of time, as always.

"What is happening in there?" Mai growled in frustration as she sat behind her desk after she was done with the filing. The young girl was dying to know what was happening in Naru's office. The door hadn't opened at all in the past few hours. She scowled as she remembered how Naru ordered her out of his office. He became annoyed just because she chatted a bit with the potential client. He was such a spoilsport sometimes.

At least she had found out his name. Edward Lawrence. Now, why did it sound so familiar to her? The 17-year-old bit her lower lip in deep thought. She was certain she had heard of it before. Then, she came up with a bright idea — though her inner Mai warned her it was a stupid idea. What if she, accidentally on purpose, dropped some papers in front of Naru's closed office door and had to pick them up? It wouldn't be her fault if she happened to overhear something she shouldn't. _Naru is not stupid._ _He will see right through you little act_. Now, why that sounded like Houshou-kun in her ears, she didn't know.

"I am right here, Mai."

Mai flew ten feet into the air and screamed at the top of her lungs. "Houshou-kun! You're here!" she gasped trying to calm her wildly-beating heart.

He grinned and flicked her playfully in the forehead.

"Ouch!" Mai cried out as she rubbed her forehead. "Houshou-kun," she grouched. "Why did you do that for?"

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings. It is one of the first rules of Making Cunning Plans. The second is, don't mumble to yourself when making them. The other people who have crept behind you when you were not paying any attention will learn all about them if you do that."

"Good-morning, Bou-san, I see you came." Naru's office door had at last opened and the three men stepped out of the office. "Did any of the others come with you?"

"I saw John-san parking his car as I was riding in the elevator."

"Good. When Matsuzaki-san and Hara-san arrive we will be able to begin."

Inner Mai cackled in delight as Naru mentioned Masako second, miss I'm-a-famous-psychic-and-oh-so-elegant-and-clever. She respected Hara-san's talent and knew how valuable her gift could be to their cases, but that girl surely knew how to get on her nerves with the way she clung to Naru and her holier-than-thou attitude.

Mr. Lawrence warmly shook Naru's hand as the young president saw him off. His mouth was curved into a wide smile.

"I don't know how to thank you, Kazuya."

"It's nothing, Edward."

"Who is that?" the blonde par-time monk whispered to Mai.

"The old guy? Edward Lawrence."

"Old? He can be no more than forty-five." _And where have I heard that name before? _He thought but this random thought quickly flew away when he heard what Mai said.

"If you claim to be old most of the time, why can't I say _he _is old?"

"You think I am old? You wound me, Mai-chan," Houshou-kun mock-pouted and wiped a fake tear.

"Oh, shut up," she harshly whispered back and socked him in the stomach with her elbow. Mai chuckled uneasily as Naru turned to glare at them in disapproval.

"Well, I'm off," Mr. Lawrence said as he shrugged on his coat and picked up his suitcase. "See you soon, Kazuya, Lin, Mai."

"Goodbye Mr. Lawrence." _Soon?_ Mai mused as the door shut behind Mr. Lawrence._ So that means we have taken his case?_ She eyed Naru thoughtfully. There was some tension in his stance and rigidity in his movements. Obviously something was wrong with him. It might just be her imagination, but he didn't seem too pleased to have taken this case.

* * *

Half an hour later, Hara-san and Matsuzaki-san arrived. All of the usual members of SPR were there, except of Yasuhara-san.

He had just entered university and was too busy with classes most of the time. Not even university, though, had managed to intimidate this fearless young man who laughed in adversity's face (difficult papers) and smiled when attacked by fearsome dragons (his teachers). He was a true knight.

_I wonder how Osamu-kun is doing. _It had been a week since Mai had heard of him. He had met him in the street…with a girl. "_My partner in my last paper about the concept of tragedy in the philosophies of Hegel and Nietze." That's what he had said. "We just finished and we are going to get some cake to celebrate. Want to come with us?" _She smiled slyly as she remembered the way the girl's green eyes gazed adoringly at Osamu-kun and how they narrowed at the sight of Mai when she met them on the street, and how they flashed dangerously when Osamu-kun had invited her to accompany them to the coffee-house. She shivered as she remembered the manic gleam in that girl's eyes. _Come with us and die. That's what they were saying. If I gone with them, I'm sure I would be soon styling a new look. __Mai-a-la-chocolate-mousse._

Mai was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice Naru had started talking and was staring particularly at her.

"Mai, pay attention," Naru barked.

"Yes, sir," Mai exclaimed wide-eyed. He had caught her by surprise. Heavens, what was his problem? Ayako and Houshou-kun made poor attempts to smother their laughter. _Traitors, _Mai groused as she pursed her lips. And she didn't miss the condescending little smirk that adorned Masako's lips.

Only John was looking everyone with a baffled, flustered look. _I can't understand Japanese humor. _

"As I was saying. Edward Lawrence, an old friend of mine, has asked me as a personal favor to investigate some strange disturbances in one of his hotels in England."

"What exactly is the nature of the haunting, Naru?" John asked.

Lin answered in Naru's stead.

"The hotel is an 18th century manor which was the country seat of a noble family until after World War two, when the family decided to reside somewhere else and change it into a luxurious hotel. Apparently, it has been haunted for a very long time. But according to what Mr. Lawrence told me strange things happened only once a year on a certain date, December 31st and they made sure that no one was in the house that particular day. That's why it has been kept quiet so far. But, now, the disturbances started in the beginning of December and have been growing in intensity ever since. It is our job to find what is causing it and put a stop to it before New Year's Eve."

"How intense?" Masako asked.

Lin raised his eyes from his notes and looked somberly at all of them. But it was Naru who gave them the answer this time.

"A person has already died. A maid, actually. She was discovered in a room locked from the inside."

"Cause of death?" Houshou-kun asked, all evidence of his earlier laughing gone from his voice.

"The official cause of death is heart failure." Naru gave him a wry smile. "Of course, that's because they couldn't explain the presence of water in her lungs, a she was discovered completely dry."

A heavy silence descended upon them.

Mai shuddered and wrapped her arms around her torso. She had a bad feeling about all of this. Houshou-kun, who was sitting right beside her, noticed her subdued appearance and nudged her gently in the ribs.

"Come on, Mai-chan. Why the long face? The ghost that will be able to overpower us hasn't been born…or rather died… yet."

"I'm okay, Houshou-kun. Honestly."

"If you say so." His yes told a different tale though as he discreetly watched her in concern through the corner of his eye.

Naru sat up, followed by Lin.

"Better go home and pack," he addressed everyone. "We are leaving at eight o'clock in the evening with Mr. Lawrence's private jet."

Everyone nodded and got up.

"And Hara-san?"

"Yes, Naru-san?" The young psychic said so sweetly it made Mai want to puke.

"Don't bring any of your kimonos with you and bring only simple clothes, nothing too fancy. We must remain inconspicuous."

"Yes, Naru-san, I understand," she answered deflated with a dull flush on her cheeks.

Inner Mai once again cackled in delight.

"That includes all of you. We will not be going there as mere investigators. We will pretend to be a small group of Japanese students with their escorts, who will be Matsuzaki-san and Bou-san. John-san, Hara-san, Mai and I will be the students. It is of the utmost importance to keep our identities secret as the hotel is very famous and if rumors arise that it is haunted, our client's business will suffer major loses."

Ayako was not very happy with the arrangement.

"Why can't I be a student? I don't want to be an escort."

Houshou-kun was right there with a gleam in his eyes, ready to make a smart-aleck remark.

"But, you don't look young enough to look like a student, Ayako-san."

The furious redhead reacted the way she usually did.

"Ow! That's my head!"

"You deserved it, you idiotic monk."

And the shouting match began once more.

John Brown sighed in defeat and covered his eyes with a hand. The seven of them closed in a private jet for a long journey that would take nearly a day. It'd be a miracle if they didn't kill each other first.

Mai always wondered whether they would stop if they poured cold water on their heads. And sometimes she thought they enjoyed bickering with each other a little too much.

She shrugged with a smile on her lips. Now, all she cared about was that she would be spending her winter break in a luxurious English hotel, with Naru. _It will be very interesting, _Inner Mai agreed as she watched her young boss discuss something with Lin.

It had started raining outside. Mai's fears returned and a shiver run through her spine. _Why am I feeling this way?_

TBC

**A/N: **I just want to thank everyone who reviewed. I would say more but I am not a person who likes to rumble (and my brain is out of order at the moment).

**Next chapter: **Mai and airplanes don't mix.They arrive in England. Who is Kenneth Lawrence and why does Naru hate him so much? The SPR team discovers that the house has a darker history than any of them imagined.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Ghost Hunt and its characters do not belong to me. I'm writing **

**This is for entertainment purposes only and not for profit. **

**Summary: Naru is asked to investigate the mysterious deaths that have been **

**plaguing an 18th century manor turned hotel. But what will the SPR **

**team do when Naru and Mai are possessed by the spirits of two **

**forbidden lovers and what is this evil presence Masako feels? **

**Chapter 2:**

DECEMBER 27TH, AUDREY HALL, ENGLAND.

When Mai entered her room she just closed the door, abandoned her suitcase by an ornate chair and plopped dead tired into the bed, a bed that had the softest mattress she had ever lied on and was covered by a dark orange comforter embroidered with red flowers. She hid her face amongst the fluffy white pillows, letting out a deep sigh of contentment as she let her muscles relaxe, happy that she had finally gotten off that jet.

Their flight to England had not gone as smoothly as expected. The light rain that had started falling early in the afternoon had turned into a downpour and they had to wait for the weather to clear out before they could take off, something that didn't happen till it was nearly midnight.

This small setback hadn't stopped Mai from feeling excited. This was her first time flying. Unfortunately, her enthusiasm didn't last long.

"Mai-chan, are you okay? You don't look too good," Houshou-kun asked her, not thirty minutes into the flight. He had been sitting right next to her and he had looked really worried about Mai. Who wouldn't? Before they took off she had been so thrilled to be in a jet for the first time that she hadn't stopped talking about it the whole time. After that, though, she had become silent and pale.

"My stomach feels funny," Mai admitted in a weak voice. Now, lying in her comfortable bed, she snorted remembering how bad she had really felt. Funny was an understatement. Her entire interior decorating had been changing at the time, with her stomach moving to her throat and her heart migrating to her abdominal cavity. Not to mention the carousel that had been installed in her cranium without the owner's permission.

Naru lowered the book he was reading upon hearing Houshou-kun's comment. A small square table divided his seat from monk-san's and Mai's. The seat next to Naru was empty except for his briefcase and laptop.

"I believe you are airsick, Mai," her boss said as he placed the book over the briefcase and folded his hands into his lap. When Mai, irritated at his usual too-confident-for-his-own-good behavior, had vehemently denied it, Naru had just given her a once-over and commented that he didn't have to be a doctor to find out what was wrong with her.

Mai turned over to lie on her back and stared at the dark orange canopy of her four-poster bed as she remembered, quite embarrassed, at how childishly she had behaved. She had just shaken her head in denial. She just couldn't believe it. This was her first time flying —and in a private jet, no less. She had wanted to watch movies as John, Ayako and Masako were at the back of the jet, or sit next to Mr. Lawrence and Lin and listen to the first describe the hotel that was called Audrey Hall and its magnificent rose gardens.

"I can't be airsick. I don't get carsick. And I don't get seasick. Why would I be airsick? It must be something else. It might be the chicken sandwich I had for dinner." After her small outburst she had gotten up and had announced she was going to freshen up a bit, desperate to get away. Naru had been giving her a knowing look that said "Who are you trying to fool?" Perhaps if she washed her face with cold water she would feel better and prove Naru wrong. She hadn't taken two steps when she stumbled and fell into Naru's lap.

Mai's cheeks grew warm only at the thought of the incident. The young student grabbed one of the pillows and hugged it against her chest. It had been so horrible and yet…so wonderful. She had never been that close to Naru before.

Ow, my nose, was Mai's first thought as her nose collided with something hard and an inky blackness flooded her vision. Trying to clear away the haziness that fogged her mind, she raised her left hand and tentatively touched the thing she had collided with. When she felt the strong beating of a heart under her palm and a light chuckle echoed in her ears, so short that for a moment she thought she had imagined it, she finally saw that the "thing" was actually her boss.

Nervous light brown orbs instantly rose to meet amused blue eyes. Naru's eyes had been curved into a light smile, so similar to the one in her dreams that it made her heart flutter, even now.

Then, he had to open his stupid mouth and ruin the moment.

"Are you comfortable, Mai?" He had said, his smile turning wry. "Would you perhaps like a pillow or two?"

"I'm sorry," she had stuttered meekly.

And what did his majesty had to say? "It's okay? Don't worry about it? Accidents happen?" Of course not. He had just opened his book once more and as calm as ever had began reading it once again, completely ignoring Mai's body which was still intimately pressed on his own and had said, his face hidden behind the book: "Can you get up? You're heavy."

"That jerk!" Mai mumbled angrily to herself. "He didn't even ask if I was hurt. And you never, never make such comments about a young girl's weight."

Her irritation had made her forget her dizziness and she shot up like a bullet, intending to wipe that annoying smirk off his face with a well-placed kick. Bad decision. If Houshou-kun hadn't been fast enough to catch her she'd have met the floor in a very intimate way.

After that embarrassing act things had only gotten worse as Mai had to stumble twice to the bathroom with Houshou-kun's help to relieve her stomach. Finally, her older blond friend had made her lie down and after a while she fell into an exhausted sleep that lasted for most of the flight.

Yes, Houshou-kun was the big brother she wished she had. He even became as obnoxious as a real brother could be. A perfect example was their ride to Audrey Hall. Seeing her moody, her 'big brother' had decided to entertain his 'little sister' by regaling her with a side of her klutzy act she had missed. Everyone else's reactions.

As her attention was captured by something more interesting, he had said snickering; he saw it as his duty to let her know that she had shocked everyone, but made the flight far more enjoyable with the unexpected entertainment she provided.

The part-time monk had told that had gaped like a fish.

"A blond, handsome fish, to be more accurate," that were his exact words. Mr. Lawrence had chocked on his drink and, most surprisingly, Lin had been smirking, obviously deeply amused at the situation at hand. John was just blinking. Here, his snickering had become full blown laughter as he described Masako's reaction.

"She got paler than a ghost, not pun intended, and gasped out loud. For a moment I thought she was having a heart attack. Then, she got all red…and her eyes were that of the green-eyed monster, if you know what I mean." He laughed at his own joke. "You have a rival, Mai-chan."

This was all very amusing, but Mai would have appreciated if he had just shut up. But, alas, he hadn't noticed, or chose not to notice, the less that subtle nudges she gave him to get him to stop, as she cast anxious glances to the front seat. He had just continued with how Ayako had been laughing so hard that she collapsed against him, (nudge) but when she came to her senses she had started screaming at him for touching her, like it had been (nudge) his fault she couldn't handle laughing that much (nudge).

Only when the cars left them in front of Audrey Hall's main entrance did he realize why he now styled wonderful black bruises on his entire left side, courtesy of Mai. The president of SPR had been sitting on the passenger's seat all along.

Her embarrassment was forgotten as her eyes were captured by the sight before her. Audrey Hall was truly a magnificent sight at the fading rays of the setting sun. It was a majestic two-storied manor built with dove gray stone and pillars of white marble. And in front of the open double glass doors of the entrance stood someone that make the three females present gasp in shock.

"Is this who I think it is?" Ayako barely dared to breathe.

"It is," Mai whispered back, equally dumbfounded. Even the usually stoic Masako seemed impressed.

It was no other than Kenneth Lawrence, one of the most talented tennis players to ever grace Wimbledon, one of the most successful male models in the West.

"No wonder Mr. Lawrence's name sounded familiar to me," Houshou-kun said. "I've read about his famous nephew. But, I didn't make the connection till now."

Naru stood frozen for a split second before sending a glare towards Mr. Lawrence. He then wandered off to supervise the unloading of the equipment with Lin. None of the others missed the silent interplay between the English gentleman and their young boss.

Mr. Lawrence shifted uneasily under the weight of everyone's questioning looks.

"I think it is the appropriate time to mention that…"

"I am the one you will be working for," said Kenneth Lawrence as he reached their small group. "I must apologize to all of you for this duplicity, but it was necessary."

"Necessary, how?" Asked John-san.

"A year ago, I inherited the title of Lord Audrey and the fortune that came with the title. This hotel is part of the fortune. But, no one outside my family and a number of a few select friends is aware of it."

"Is that why you suddenly abandoned your career? I was very disappointed when I found out I couldn't watch your amazing tennis skills any longer. You know, I watched every game you played in Wimbledon three years ago," Masako said with a gentle smile to the young lord's obvious delight.

Mai only narrowed her eyes at this. _Masako sure does move fast. _She shrugged to herself. _That's not really bad. Maybe if she finds someone else to fawn on she will stop run behind Naru like a slobbering puppy. _

Mai curiously examined the young blond man who was now talking with Masako and smiled good-naturedly at the starstruck Ayako. Lord Audrey was very handsome, though his good looks were of an earthier tone than Naru's and brought to mind warm sunny days and picnics filled with laughter. Naru's beauty was different. He was dark like the night and mysterious like the sea.

_And I seriously need to have a good night's sleep. I am already starting to get delusional, _Mai thought with a mental sigh. Apparently, exhaustion and jet-lag had scrambled her brain too badly and that's why she had started waxing poetically for everything that met her eye. From the landscape to people.

Mai stood silent amongst her team members, though she answered politely to Lord Audrey's greeting, when he paused for a second from a conversation he had began with Masako, letting the others do all the talking. She was more content watching the interaction — or rather the lack of interaction — between Naru and Lord Audrey.

When the young blond lord had made his appearance, just five minutes after their arrival, Mai noticed that Naru and Lin fell back seemingly to instruct the drivers, who were helping them unload, how to handle the equipment. But Mai had learnt all about Naru and his reactions after being for so long under his employment. The distance he kept from the young lord was a form of defensive mechanism for Naru. It showed that for some reason, yet to be revealed, Naru wasn't ready to face Lord Audrey and he was buying himself some time.

Mai's curiosity was peaked, especially after observing Lord Audrey. He was laughing in good humor with Ayako as she flirted with him but she noticed that he was also aware of Naru's reluctance to meet him. He was laughing, but a hint of anxiety lurked behind his chocolate-brown eyes, which kept darting to Naru and Lin.

_Something must have happened between those two in the past. _Mai was sure of it. _Mr. Edward is an old friend of Naru's father and I remember Naru got angry when this old friend mentioned his nephew. I will ask Lin about it later._ Assuming that Lin was in a sharing mood. He was more talkative these days, but still not one would call a chatterbox and he really got on her nerves sometimes when he told her in this all-too-wise voice of his: "You will find out when the time comes, Mai-san." He was loyal to her narcissistic boss, first and foremost.

"Did someone cast a curse on me? Why am I always surrounded by cryptic people?" The poor girl grumbled as she sat up and took in every detail of her hotel room. Its sheer size was overwhelming. It must have been bigger than her modest apartment back home.

This wasn't one of the biggest rooms by the manor-turned-hotel-for-the-rich-and-famous' standards, but it was more than enough for her.

How she wished they were actually in England for vacation. She could just picture herself curled into one of the red striped couches next to the fireplace with a book and a mug of hot chocolate at a cold winter's night. She yawned and smiled to herself as she borrowed deeper into the warm blankets, lost in her fantasy. _That would be great,_ she thought drowsily as her eyes closed.

A nightmare, however, was already lurking in the shadowy corners of her slumbering mind…

_**When she finally awoke, night had fallen. The only light in the room came from the crackling fire, but it was enough for Mai to see. The young girl stretched her lips and blinked sleepily. She felt warm and comfortable and didn't want to move till morning. Her grumbling stomach had other ideas and pushed her to get out of bed. **_

_**As she smoothed her hair and quite unsuccessfully tried to do the same with the wrinkles in her clothes, her ears suddenly caught a peculiar sound. Music? It seemed to be far away but it got louder as she walked to the door and pulled it open. She was right, it was music. Someone was playing a piano. It was soft and sad, almost like mourning without words. It stopped at random intervals, only to start again, the same music, over and over again. **_

_**She walked down the dimly lit corridor following the music, almost hypnotized by it. She turned left and right, right and left and she continued to walk, her feet seemingly guiding her on their own through the labyrinth of corridors, until finally she reached her destination, outside the door where the music was at its loudest. She hesitated as her hand touched the doorknob, but she took a deep breath and opened the door. **_

_**The door opened to reveal a small music room. Candles filled every available surface. In front of the grand piano that was the origin of the music sat a woman with dark curly hair, who had her back turned to Mai. The young brunette stood still. She didn't want to disturb the girl. Some great pain was obviously torturing her. She was crying and sometimes her sobs became so violent that she had to stop playing. Mai felt tears leaking out of her own eyes, as well. She knew what it was like to cry like you'd never stop when the pain seemed like a bottomless pit that would never be filled.**_

**_Then, the woman went silent and slowly got up. Ever so slowly, she turned to Mai. The young girl gasped at the sight before her._**

_**Mai froze and a scream rang in her ears as a pair of bony hands with long talon-like nails reached to grab her by the neck…**_

A/N: I know, I know. It's been too long, but this chapter made me want to tear my hair out by the time I finished it. This is actually the fourth and final version of it. The setting of a new environment is always a pain in the neck. I promise you the next chapter won't take so long. Also, thanks to the people who reviewed. I'm glad you think everyone is in character. Till next time…


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